1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flow-compensating basket and vane wheel for use with a meter having a meter register to measure the flow volume of material, e.g., water moving through a multi-jet water meter and, more particularly, to a compensating basket having selectively sized and positioned openings or holes in the walls of the basket to balance the force of water flowing through the walls of the compensating basket into a flow distribution chamber to rotate the vane wheel therein, the wheel having its center of gravity spaced from its center of buoyancy to reduce wheel wear.
2. Description of the Presently Available Technology
Meters for measuring flow volume of fluids, e.g., gas, water, such as multi-jet water meters, include a meter body having a cavity or opening interconnecting an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber. A flow measuring arrangement or system to measure and, optionally, record the flow volume of the fluids, e.g., water moving through the meter body, is mounted in the opening connecting the inlet chamber to the outlet chamber. The flow measuring arrangement includes, among other components, a vane water wheel and a meter register. Usually, the vane wheel and the meter register each includes a magnet which interacts with one another to power the flow measuring device of the meter register, e.g., an optical encoder of the type disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/864,312 or U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/864,308, or reed switches of the type disclosed in PCT Publication No. WO 02/073735, to measure the flow volume of water moving through the meter. The disclosures of the above-mentioned PCT publication and patent applications are hereby incorporated by reference. Essentially, in operation, water flows into and through the inlet chamber of the water meter, passes through holes in the sidewall of a screen or filter and into a flow distribution chamber. The vane water wheel is rotatably mounted in the flow distribution chamber, and the water flowing into and through the flow distribution chamber rotates the water wheel to power the flow measuring device of the meter register to record water volume passing through the flow distribution chamber. The water moves from the flow distribution chamber into the outlet chamber and, thereafter, out of the water meter.
A limitation with the presently available flow measuring arrangements, e.g., of the type taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,029, is that the water flowing through the screen contacts the vanes of the vane water wheel at various velocities about the circumference of the water wheel. The result is applying unbalanced transverse loads on the vane water wheel which can result in premature side wear of the turbine shaft on which the water wheel rotates. Eventually, the side of the turbine shaft has uneven wear resulting in random variations in the rotation of the water wheel resulting in inaccurate readings.
As can be appreciated by those skilled in the art, it would be advantageous to provide a screen or filter and/or vane water wheel that does not have the limitations of the presently available screens and/or vane water wheels.